title: VCSEL end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with adjustable pulse energy.
abstract: A compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser utilizing a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber, is end-pumped by the focused emission from an 804 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. By changing the VCSEL operating current, we demonstrated 2x adjustability in the laser output pulse energy, from 9 mJ to 18 mJ. This energy variation was attributed to changes in the angular distribution of VCSEL emission with drive current, resulting in a change in the pump intensity distribution generated by a pump-light-focusing lens.
authors.affiliation: US Army RDECOM CERDEC, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060, USA. lew.goldberg@us.army.mil
authors.forename: Lew
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D007909:Lenses